Copper Age Owl Carvings Unearthed in the Iberian Peninsula Served as Toys, Amulets For Children

Tiny pieces of slate cut into the figure of owls were discovered in graves and pits from around the Iberian Peninsula, from Spain and Portugal, during the last century. Originally, archaeologists thought these figurines represented deities and were utilized in rites. A recent study, however, suggests otherwise.

These items are 5,000 years old, but their function has long baffled researchers. According to a fresh study, these were toys designed and utilized by youngsters.

In addition to the fact that several were discovered outside of a ceremonial setting, those engravings' casual looks led the scientists to suspect their usage as ritual artifacts. But, until today, there hasn't been enough proof to back up the idea that they are toys. The findings were published in the publication Scientific Reports.

Conducting the Analysis

As Live Science reported, to conduct their investigation, scientists from the Spanish National Research Council studied 100 of the approximately 4,000 carved slate owl plaques that had been gathered throughout the years. All of the sculptures are from the Copper Age and include two tiny holes, which were most probably used to interweave bird feathers.

Scientists then compared these plaques to 100 owl drawings created earlier this year by youngsters aged 4 to 14 at primary schools in southwest Spain. Teachers instructed the students to sketch an owl in under 20 minutes. The researchers stated that the plaques' resemblance to children's drawings is astonishing.

The first impression of the carvings was that they were straightforward to construct, said Juan J. Negro, the original study principal author and a biologist in the CSIC's Department of Evolutionary Ecology. [The carvers] didn't put much time or effort into them; therefore, they could be completed in a matter of hours.

The sculptures all had one thing in common: they were all fashioned of slate, a soft stone composed of minerals such as quartz, illite, or chlorite. It's pliable enough to sculpt using quartz, copper, or flint tools. According to the researchers, anyone may engrave it, including youngsters who beg for carving instruction.

(Photo: Juan J. Negro)
A replica (left) of a carved stone owl with two feathers inserted at the top next to a photo (right) of a long-eared owl (Asio otus)

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Ancient Toys

While the researchers do not know what led these Copper Age children to focus on owls rather than other creatures, they note that owls were a common observation back then, especially in metropolitan settings. The tiny owl (Athene noctua), as well as the long-eared owl (Athene noctua) would have been the two most prevalent species in the area (Asio otus).

Following Negro's statement, the youngsters most probably lived in colonies and would observe owls frequently as they are famous for eating rats and mice. Owls are distinguished from other birds by their forward-facing eyes and huge heads, which children are likely to find appealing. Everyone has an owl image in their heads. He stated that they are iconic creatures.

The plaques aren't the oldest probable toy discovered in the archaeological evidence. Animal figurines found in children's graves in Siberia 20,000 years ago have been understood as toys. Spinners and thaumatropes discovered in French caves around 36,000 years previously are also thought to be toyed with by some, based on an archaeological Blogspot.